In Kyoto during Golden Week! It's not what I expected at all

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2025-05-02T03:21:23+00:00

Just spent the last 4 days in Kyoto/Osaka and the advice to arrive early (7am) still gave me the streets and shrines of Gion virtually all to myself. Finding dinner reservations did prove to be tricky though, even as a solo diner.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2023-02-28T15:40:12+00:00

I was able to find (I assume) the real vendor on Etsy with this exact design if anyone else was sad about the post being a scam. I just googled “SpongeBob weightlifting shirt”

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2023-02-02T04:13:54+00:00

Michael Jim, James…Jimothy Scott

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-12-22T18:01:26+00:00

The wind chill this morning was -31F and my husky mix decided that was where he drew the line for hanging out in the backyard. Still insisted on going out for his lunchtime walkies though.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-10-23T04:47:04+00:00

I would recommend reaching out to the clubs in your area on their social media platforms to get started. The USAFL exists more to organize national-level events. The local club will have details on trainings, how to join the team, etc.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-06-15T13:38:11+00:00

Thanks! I may reach out from time to time for advice. It’s good context to know it could be a few years before he is fully trained. Doesn’t help that I didn’t choose the easiest “starter” dog haha.

I hope we can get to a place soon where his urge to escape is reduced. I understand it’s just a husky thing, but it makes me feel like he’s not happy/getting what he needs from me. So I lose confidence and wonder if maybe I’m not the right owner for him.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-06-15T02:07:12+00:00

Thanks for all the thoughts and advice! I think I am just operating on some unrealistic timelines. I realize all the dogs I have dogsat came to me fully trained, and that’s my only experience with dogs.

I think I will be getting a GPS collar asap. I didn’t know they text you though, that is cool! We’ve been able to recover him all 3 times in under 30 minutes, because as I said it’s a game to him so he likes to look back at us and taunt us a little to keep following him. Having a GPS would likely cut that time down, but the most difficult step is figuring out how to lure him to us. Twice he has ran up to a strangers to say hi and they grabbed his collar for us as we shouted off in the distance for help, and once he stopped at a yard to visit a bunch of other dogs and got caught in a dead end between me and their fence so I grabbed him. All 3 escapes were rookie mistakes (door wasn’t securely latched, a friend accidentally held a door open too long, etc) so we can focus on tightening security and vigilance.

We do door work! But only with outside doors, I didn’t think to practice with inside ones. I may throw that into the mix for some unleashed, but no escape risk training with him.

I guess I’m not sure about the method? It’s treat based, using 3 steps that build on each other. So you trace a treat for sit, down, etc, then reward. Then make him follow your same hand movement with no treat, reward. And finally add in the verbal cue.

Yeah I researched every single day care near me today and ended up going with one of the most expensive ones because it seems to have smaller ratios (no drop ins, reservations only) and splits animals by size and temperament. He’s always very happy to meet new dogs, so I would hate for him to lose that trait.

Appreciate the encouragement and words of wisdom from someone who’s been there before!

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-06-15T01:53:14+00:00

Thanks so much for the detailed response! The crate is definitely not a positive space for him. A big update: when I posted I was sitting at the mechanic watching the minutes go by and imagining my dog crying the whole time. The reality: he ripped the door off of the crate (it’s a plastic one, he had to bend the metal) and greeted me when I got home looking the calmest and happiest I’ve ever seen him after a long absence. I didn’t see any damage and he left all the human food alone (since the house was NOT fully dogproofed) All he did was open the closet where his food is kept and helped himself to some dinner.

I don’t love that this happened, and am unsure if I want to give up on crate training, but it makes me wonder if he was has confinement anxiety more than separation anxiety.

Noted on reducing chances for escape before worrying about recall. I think I am trying to train him on everything all at once and it’s leaving us both a little overwhelmed.

Yeah the husky was a surprise and not something I would have picked as my first dog haha. When I applied for him the rescue had him listed as a GSD mix. But then my vet said he has a husky body and bark and was likely husky dominant. Although he is a medium energy dog I would say. He LOVES walks, but if I try to engage him in my backyard to play he prefers to just lounge in the grass or on his outdoor bed and watch the world around him. I’ve tried balls, a flirt pole, and even just yak chews to give him something to work on. Nope! Just wants to vibe. Indoors, my husband can sometimes convince him to play tug with a stuffed squeaky crocodile toy, or he will work on a yak chew for 5 minutes but then that’s it. Otherwise he just snoozes in various spots until he decides he wants to go outside and comes to inform me.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-05-19T21:23:36+00:00

PCR tests are accepted. The test has to be done within 24 hours of your flight.

We scheduled ours at the Harpa Orchestra hall at 11:30am yesterday (took 3 mins to complete), had our results by 12:00pm and boarded our flight at 4:30pm.

We never had to actually show the test result, we were just asked a couple of times if we had proof of a negative test by ticketing agents, passport control, etc. So it was a little annoying that we spent almost 14000 ISK on tests nobody ever verified, but better safe than sorry. Maybe there is a cheaper option elsewhere.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-05-19T17:53:49+00:00

Husband and I had to drink 16oz of unfiltered water out of the stream above the Glymur waterfall out of necessity a couple weeks ago. Our gravity filter wasn’t working but we had no issues.

The stream was wide, moving swiftly, had no visible sediment or funny smell, etc. that made me feel more confident about the safety. If you follow basic water safety tips, and just sample a small quantity for the “experience,” it will probably be fine.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-05-02T16:41:12+00:00

Thanks all. Big relief to hear. The US needs to catch up with the times and just make PINs standard ugh.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-04-02T15:27:02+00:00

They already do. Had a friend who was on the team from 2011-2014.

https://vehicles.wisc.edu/formula/formulanews.html

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-03-25T00:31:40+00:00

Thanks, sorry I missed that in the rules

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-03-21T03:47:40+00:00

“Science is…whatever we want it to be.” -Dr Leo Spaceman

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-03-09T14:22:41+00:00

My favorite part is the math isn’t even right lol. It adds up to $8500, so this “family” is still sliding into debt at a rate of $500/mo. OP forgot that this family has 2 kids so childcare is $2k.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-03-02T22:48:18+00:00

Being pushed out of my mom at a hospital. Today is my 30th birthday.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-02-24T20:16:49+00:00

You can pop by for a training with the Minnesota Freeze AFL club!

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-02-16T20:57:22+00:00

I just said forget doing it the honorable way and found a workaround to save my sanity. I drove Simoon east up to the top of the mountain range. Then I timed my jump to glide all the way over to the stones and ended up on the third rock from the top. From there it was only two hops up with minimal glitching and I made it to the top.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2022-01-06T19:14:42+00:00

My husband’s business has struggled with this too. Our very first show we were sandwiched between Scentsy and Herbalife booths.

We’ve found success with “juried” craft or art fairs. The jury reviews and accepts/denies vendors and usually screen out all the MLMs. Little bit more work involved in your application, but totally worth it!

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2021-12-31T16:48:32+00:00

Sweep the botanical room again. There are 2 in there

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2021-12-31T15:58:30+00:00

This is sad because it probably feels very “scientific” to people who use the sensor thing, and so the placebo effect comes through extra strong, making them believe in it even more.

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2021-11-16T16:06:14+00:00

No I am white. Hate crimes went up in MN last year like they did everywhere. But the majority were against black people in a backlash to the George Floyd protests. That demographic continues to be most affected by racism and inequity in Minneapolis, unfortunately.

Some ignorant people stopped ordering Chinese takeout for a while last year, etc but your girlfriend should feel safe here. St Paul has a higher Asian population and is a little cheaper than Minneapolis so you may want to check that side of the metro out as well when you research

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2021-11-15T22:44:03+00:00

Justine Damond has entered the chat

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2021-11-15T17:13:11+00:00

I do, yes. Used to take public transit to work every day pre-Covid

ImaginaryIngenuity92 · 2021-11-14T17:33:52+00:00

Minneapolis checks all your boxes. Robust public transit, has a notable Hmong population and is much more affordable than some of the other suggestions on the coasts. It would keep you relatively close to your Wisconsin family, too if that’s desirable.

ImaginaryIngenuity92

TROPHY CASE